Veronica Alberto is the Front Desk Coordinator at Divino Niño, a small pediatric practice with Patient Centered Medical Home Level 3 recognition, located in the Bronx’s Belmont neighborhood. Divino Niño’s mission is to provide our community efficient, professional and excellent quality health services.
Upon entering the doors of Divino Niño Pediatrics, every patient is greeted by Veronica Alberto’s warm smile behind the front desk. At Divino Niño, high quality care begins the moment the patient walks in, and it is Ms. Alberto who sets the wheels of patient care in motion.
Teamwork is at the heart of Divino Niño’s culture, and Ms. Alberto is well aware of the critical role she plays in her care team. “If it’s bad in the front, it’s going to get bad in the back,” she explains.
This is because in addition to scheduling appointments and managing insurance, Ms. Alberto also maintains relationships with families, following up between appointments to keep them engaged in their healthcare. As an added bonus to her team, Ms. Alberto has experience as a Medical Assistant, which allows her to more easily understand and communicate patients’ medical needs.
The Divino Niño team runs like a well-oiled machine, adhering to a strict set of protocols to maximize efficiency and to improve each patient’s experience. Ms. Alberto makes sure that every patient who arrives on time is seen on time, schedules follow-up appointments before every patient leaves, and Divino Niño’s in-house blood lab and pulmonary and cardiac centers make it easier for Ms. Alberto make sure patients keep their referrals.
The staff communicates continuously and meets often, as Ms. Alberto puts it, to “make sure we are on top of everything.” There is a lot to keep track of, she admits, but after two years of working at Divino Niño she says, “I’m so used to it, it’s normal.”
Although Divino Niño is recognized as a Level 3 Patient Centered Medical Home, Ms. Alberto says that the term “PCMH” is not often used within the practice. Instead, protocols aligned with PCMH standards are ingrained into Divino Niño’s culture.
It’s “people-to-people care,” she explains. “My team makes sure the patient gets the care they need, that they know what is going on with their health, and that they leave happy and come back.”
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(Published January 5, 2016)